Improvement in hot-air furnaces



D. P. WEEKS.

Hot Air Furnace.

Patented Aug. 11, 185 7.

N. PETERS. whomumo n her. wnmngn o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

DANIEL P. WEEKS, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EBEN SEAVEY,

OF CHARLESTOWV IMPROVEMENT IN HOT-A l R FU RNAC ES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 8,002, dated August11, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL P. WEEKS, of

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of,

Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Hot-Air Furnace for W'armin gBuildings; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described andrepresented in the following horizontcl section taken through thelire-pot,

Fig. 5, a horizontal section taken through the bases of the taperingdischarge flues or pipes; Fig. 6, a horizontal section of the parachuteradiator, to be hereinafter described. Fig. 7 is a top view of the grateand its sliding frame as removed from the upper part of the ashpit. Fig.Sis a side elevation of the furnace.

In such drawings, 0 denotes the fire pot or place for containing thefuel, the same having a grate I and an ash pit or box G, arrangedbeneath it, as shown in the drawings. Above the fire-pot G is aflame-chamber H, whose sides flare outward as they rise upward and areformed with corrugations a a a and b b 1), arranged as shown in Fig. 5.The part H has a fuel-supply throat K, provided with a door L. Each ofthe corrugations b is arrangedbetween two of the corrugations a a, andthe whole is covered by a dome M, which is formed with correspondingcorrugations c 0, extending upward from and opening out of thecorrugations 1) b, respectively.

The corrugations a a open, respectively, into discharge-pipes E E, whichcommunicate with the parachute radiator A, that is arranged between thepipes E E, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It is not essential to myinvention to have each of the discharge-pipes made either of a taperingform or as a frustum of a cone, as it may have either a cylindrical orprismoidal shape; nor is it essential that the dome M should be in theform of a frustum of a cone, as all these may be varied from such formsand still be adapt-ed to my invention or improvements.

Within the dome M, and extending down into the same and made to surroundthe parachute-radiator A, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,

is a hot-air chamber B, which is open at its top and forms, with thedome M, a reverberating chamber D. The said hot-air chamber B isfurnished with a series of air-pipes F F, leading through theflame-chamber H and out of the sides thereof, and so as to convey airinto the chamber B and from the space surrounding the fire-pot andflame-chamber. The radiator A, extending through the chamber,opensatitslowerendintotheflame-chamberH. This radiator is furnished witha dischargepipe 61 and a damper c, which are arranged in the middle ofits dome or top f. This top f is constructed in the form of an annularor semi-rin g dome, while that part of the radiator which is below ittapers downward in a curved or tunnel form and has its sides corrugated,as shown at g g. The object of so making the radiator A is not only toexpose a large amount of surface to the heated volatile products ofcombustion but also to cause the soot and ashes which may pass upthrough the pipes E E to strike against the annular dome f and bereverberated toward the middle of the radiator, and so as to bedischarged by such rathe fire-place or fire within the fire-pot, and soas more effectually to consume the waste carbonaceous matters whichmight otherwise escapethroughthedischarge-pipedthatis,provided theradiator A should not communicate by the tunnel i with the flame-spaceH. The lower part of the air-chamber B is made bulbshaped, as shown at70, the same being for the purpose not only of increasing the amount ofheat-absorbing surface of the chamber B, but to prevent to aconsiderable extent, if not entirely, the volatile products ofcombustion which may be reverberated within the chamber B from passingdownward and into the lower end of the tunnel i, the part 70 serving todirect or deflect such reverberated currents into the pipes E E.

The fire-pot O is surrounded by a series of curved plates N N,.whichproject from it at their vertical edges so as to form air-spaces O 0between the fire-pot and such plates as shown in the drawings. Each ofthese airspaces should be open at top and bottom, so as to allow the airto freely pass up through them and be heated by contact with the outersurface of the fire-pot and inner surface of diator or the tunnel 2' orlower-part thereof into its plate. Each plate N may be furnished with awing or plate P, extending from it horizontally. \Vhile this wing aidsin causing air to pass through the spaces 0 0, it absorbs heat from itsplate N, and radiates such into the surrounding atmosphere.

Leading from the ash-box G upward'and directly into one of thedischarge-pipes E is a pipe R, furnished with a damper S, such pipebeing for thepurpose of carrying off the lighter dust and ashes whichmay fall into the ash-pit while the grate is being shaken. Consequentlythe pipe R serves to prevent such lighter ashes or dust from escapinginto the room in which the furnace may be situated.

The grate I is provided with a handle m, and turns horizontally on ajournal m, extending upward from a rocker-shaft n, so applied to theash-box or a frame 0 (placed therein) as to be capable of being turnedlaterally so as to allow the grate to be moved from a horizontal into avertical position, in order to cause the fuel or contents of thefire-pot to be discharged into the ash-box when occasion may require.When the grate is in a horizontal position it rests on a stud p,projecting from the frame 0, and when the grate is so situated, aperson, by taking hold of its handle, may turn the grate back andforward or with a reciprocating motion, in order to discharge ashes fromthe fuel. Thus the entire grate can have two movements imparted to it,one of which is in a horizontal and the other in a vertical direction.The frame 0, by which the grate is supported, slides into the upper partof the ash-pit on rails or ways, arranged as shown at r r in Figs. 2 and3.

The furnace so formed may be constructed of iron or other suitablematerial, and when used should be placed within an air-chamber basesinto the same; nor do I claim combining and arranging with a fire-potand such a series of pipes a conical or tapering radiator closed at itstop and placed within the series and directly over the fire and so as toreceive the volatile products of combustion from the fuel and deflectthem outwardly toward and into the mouths of the several dischargepipes;nor do I claim an annular radiator; nor do I claim conical orfrusto-conical bases or semi-cones combined with the fire-pot and itsseries of tapering discharge pipes and serving to support and open intosaid pipes, respectively, as I am aware that much if not all of such is.used in the furnace of Gardner Chilson, and claimed by him in hispatent, dated September 26, 1854; but

I claim certain improvements in hot-air furnaces, as follows:

1. The combination and arrangement of the parachute radiator A,air-chamber B, and pipes F F, with the fire-chamber O, and thereverberating chamber D, having smoke passages or pipes E, applied tothe same and leading into the radiator A, as described.

2. So combining the grate with the fire-pot that the former may not onlybe-bodily tilted laterally, but rotated horizontally, in manner and forthe purposes substantially as set forth.

3. The manner of constructing the radiator A-viz., with a taperingtunnel i, an annular deflecting-dome anda discharge passage or pipe (7arranged together substantially as specified.

4. Constructing the air-chamber 3 with a bulb or projecting part it,when such chamber is arranged within a revel-berating chamber D, made tocommunicate with the discharge pipes E E and a chamber of combustion andto surround the radiator A, opening at its lower end into the saidchamber of combustion, essentially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 21st day ofMay, 1857.

D. P. WEEKS. \Vitnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. IIALE, Jr.

